The big question

Scots may not have given the world the greatest number of environmentalists in the past, but we did give it some of the best. Take, for example, John Muir – arguably our greatest contribution to the field. Known as the 'Father of United States Conservation', he is credited with starting the national park movement in America where his writings led to the creation of the Sequoia and Yosemite national parks. There are more places too named after John Muir in California than after anyone else. Today, by contrast, Scotland's contribution to environmental research is as remarkable for its quantity as it is its quality.

It's all around us

It seems hardly worth saying but the environment is a truly massive subject. And it's growing in importance every day, as the competition for space and resources hots up. At the global level, the International Kyoto Protocol has set targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, whilst at a national level important changes in the law are forcing industry and local authorities to look differently at everything they do. In the face of this growing awareness, the environmental management market in the UK has swelled to over 100,000 people and is now worth about £5 billion. And it's set to go on growing as regulatory bodies expand to meet further EU directives and companies face increasing pressure to provide their own monitoring systems. For Scottish universities, being in the vanguard of environmental research in such a climate is like the proverbial silver lining.

The bare necessities

It doesn't get much more basic than the air we breathe and the water we drink. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh are collaborating with the Meteorological Office, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and UGAMP (the UK Universities' Global Atmospheric Modelling Programme) on a 60-month project to develop a new global air quality model that will be able to look at the relative impacts of different processes, such as global emissions, climate change, ozone depletion and land-use change.

Meanwhile, another Scottish team is pioneering water treatment techniques that effectively remove and destroy the deadly toxins in drinking water that traditional chemicals can leave behind. With £700,000 funding from the European Commission, scientists at The Robert Gordon University are leading an international consortium in the development of photo-catalytic reactors that use light and titanium oxide (a harmless pigment used in food products) to obliterate cyanotoxins and other 'harmfuls' such as E.coli bacteria, other microbes, pesticides and herbicides.

Elsewhere in the same university, it's salt water rather than drinking water that's making the headlines. As the significance of renewable energy sources continues to grow, scientists at the Centre for Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Energy are developing new ways to harness the potential of tidal currents. With the help of a £158,000 grant from the Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Fund, the team is developing a turbine capable of exploiting Scotland's massive tidal energy resource – which it's believed could provide enough electricity to support 3 million people.

Standing the test of time

The environment doesn't just depend upon sustainable energy, of course. There's sustainable development too – both in an urban and rural context. One of the most pressing issues facing the Highlands and Islands for instance – and the subject of a course at the recently formed UHI Millennium Institute – is how to encourage business and community growth in a fragile region, without damaging the natural environment.

On the European stage meanwhile, the University of Paisley is playing a key role in a £1 million EU project that is set to revolutionise the development of Europe's urban environment. The project, URBSOIL, a unique collaboration between five European countries, involves studying soil samples fundamental to the preservation of local, regional and worldwide environment quality. The findings will help government at a local and national level to build sustainable city environments in the future. Other ongoing projects at the university include the pioneering use of environmental forensics to 'fingerprint' a species of beetle that is attacking staple crops in Africa and Latin America; and a £100,000 groundbreaking project into the recycling of newspapers.

Of all the countries in all the world . . .

Why is it that so much international environmental research is run from right here in Scotland by Scottish scientists? Well predominantly it's down to the calibre of the staff. Many of the departments are run by internationally renowned experts, who regularly publish in the foremost journals such as 'Nature' and 'Science'. Then there's the facilities. Not only do our universities boast some of the world's best onsite facilities – such as the University of Aberdeen's sea and freshwater aquarium and analytical and molecular genetic laboratories – but they also share state-of-the-art central resources such as the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC). Our field research stations too are without equal: centres such as Culterty, the Lighthouse Field Station, Oceanlab and Sportscotland's Glenmore Lodge, one of the premier outdoor education training centres in the world, that plays such an important role in the University of Stirling's groundbreaking BSc Environment & Outdoor Education course.

A peculiarly Scottish success

Together, the quality of teaching and facilities offered are reflected in a virtuous circle of academic achievement and funding wins. Scotland's pole position in the research league though isn't just down to what happens on campus. Just as with culture and business, Scotland's education sector benefits from a national spirit of co-operation. The University of Strathclyde's Graduate School of Environmental Studies, for example, has extensive collaborative teaching and research links, not just with other internal university departments, but also with external academic, governmental and public sector organisations, ensuring that its research, far from being conducted in an ivory tower, is responsive to real issues and actual concerns.

And don't forget that famous Scottish enterprise! Out of Scotland's crucible of research have emerged a clutch of highly successful private companies, including the Centre for Environmental and Waste Management (CEWM) which brings together industry, business and the public sector to promote better environmental and waste management practices, and Simulistics Ltd, a spin-out from Edinburgh University's Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, the company's flagship product is Simile – software that simulates the effects of changes in population, industry and other factors on the environment. Already proven in Indonesia, Zimbabwe and Costa Rica, Simile is now being used in the Firth of Forth area to bring insight to the long-term effects of the decisions being made today. If only we all showed such foresight!